The good, the bad and the ugly

Assemblymember Marie Waldron

Special to Valley News

The California Legislature adjourned Thursday, Sept. 14, and the governor had until Saturday, Oct. 14, to sign or veto all legislation. Of the 2,668 bills introduced, 1,046 made it to his desk. He signed 890 and vetoed 156. Many of the bills he signed will have significant impacts, though they received little public attention.

Among these is a bill aimed at reducing the epidemic of catalytic converter thefts. Assembly Bill 641 will allow prosecution of thieves found in possession of multiple stolen converters. Another bill, Senate Bill 55, requires automobile dealerships to offer customers the option of having the vehicle’s VIN etched onto their new vehicle’s catalytic converter.

In an attempt to help California’s Small Business entrepreneurs, Assembly Bill 258 requires the Office of Small Business Advocate to post funding opportunities for small businesses on a new online portal. And to assist active duty military personnel transitioning to civilian careers, Assembly Bill 883 will require California’s licensing boards to expedite/assist licensing for active duty military applying for professional licenses.

Assembly Bill 1283 authorizes public and private schools to administer albuterol inhalers to students suffering respiratory distress. Assembly Bill 1651 requires EpiPen auto-injectors to be stored by school agencies in accessible locations for emergency use. And my bill, Assembly Bill 1233, requires outreach to tribal governments about the availability of opioid overdose reversal medication. These bills will save lives.

On the downside, in a costly imposition on local school districts, Assembly Bill 579 requires all new school buses to be zero-emission by 2035, without providing a funding source to pay for the new buses. And in a major imposition on large business enterprises, Senate Bill 253 requires businesses that operate in California and generate over $1 billion in revenue – even those located in other states, to report global greenhouse gas emissions, including emissions from their supply chains. Violators can be fined up to $500,000 per year.

These are just a few of the bills signed into law this year. More information on all legislation is available at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/.

Assemblymember Marie Waldron, R- Valley Center, represents the 75th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the cities of Poway, Santee, portions of the city of San Diego and most of rural eastern and northern San Diego County.